


And when the sun sets, I'll be with you again

by Kilted_Wolf93



Series: 100 Drabble Challenge [24]
Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-10
Updated: 2019-01-10
Packaged: 2019-10-07 22:17:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 804
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17374265
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kilted_Wolf93/pseuds/Kilted_Wolf93
Summary: And though age and death were things that not even love could overcome, the fact they had enjoyed such a strong bond had made it easier for her now. All those years she could cherish with fondness.





	And when the sun sets, I'll be with you again

**Author's Note:**

> 24 - sunset.

Ned had lived to a good age, seeing his six and four's birthday.

She supposed the words were meant to be comforting, and in some ways they were. For although she had lost her dear sweet Ned, she had known such love and devotion, more than she could ever imagine. And though age and death were things that not even love could overcome, the fact they had enjoyed such a strong bond had made it easier for her now. All those years she could cherish with fondness.

Their children were all safe and grown - married, except for Ben, the one who had surprised them seven years after Rickon, when all thought of more children had left her mind. Now, Robb, Sansa and Bran had their own children too. Ned had doted on all of his grandchildren, and though Catelyn knew that he had struggled to understand Sansa's feminine ways when she had been a child (although thank goodness he had put his foot down in the end, given the rumours that had sprouted about Prince Joffrey not long after!) he absolutely adored little Alys, their only grand-daughter and Ned's little princess.

Moons, even years after his passing, she sometimes still woke in the night, imagining him behind her and his arms wrapped around her. She would curl around the blankets until they felt like a body and snuggled in, hoping that wherever he was now, he knew how much she still loved him.

She hoped that he could see Robb flourish as Lord of Winterfell, all Ned's lessons close to his heart. She hoped he could see the newest edition to the family - a baby Eddard with the long face and grey eyes to finish.

Arya wrote often from Stormsend, her latest saying that she was with child for the first time. Catelyn can sense the sadness between the words.

_I wish father had lived to see_

Catelyn wrote back, reminding her to write should she need anything or if she wished for her mother to be with her at all. She finished with a simple,  _Your father will be watching it all proudly._

Ned would never have wanted his children to put their happiness on hold for him. Arya had taken a lot longer to come around to the idea of marriage and children, even when she had found love. Ned had died knowing all his children were happy, safe and loved and that was enough for him, she knew.

Rickon and Shireen invite her to the capital for the birth of the new prince. Though the journey would be hard on her old and weary bones, she knew she could not miss the opportunity to see her latest grandchild. Ben would travel with her too, so it wouldn't be so awful.

On the way, they stop to visit Bran, Meera and little Robbie. It is there that Ben tells her he wished to court Iris - Sam and Gilly's daughter who had grown up at Winterfell too. Catelyn smiled sweetly, and kissed his brow. 

"I wish you all the happiness, my love."

Rickon had named the child Brandon, continuing the tradition. He had thought to call him after his father, but Robb had named his son for him instead. And, Rickon had conceded that it was better to have an Eddard in the north anyway. Ned had been loved by all and his namesake would be too. 

Perhaps the strangest thing was that all this had happened because of Jon Snow. The boy she had feared would take everything from her children had in fact, saved them all from the endless winter, had saved them from the Targaryen restoration by winning the second dance of dragons. Catelyn had been the first one to find him, bleeding out into the snow, broken and lost.

"Fitting to die among the snow," he murmured, coughing around the blood that formed. Catelyn took his hand.

"A death worthy of a Stark," she had replied.

She wondered if she could have loved him as a son if Ned had told them all long before this battle had started, but she supposed it didn't matter anymore. Nothing could be changed, and when Ned found them, collapsing and clutching Jon's body to his chest, held the last part of Lyanna in the world, Catelyn hoped that knowing she had made peace with Jon would help ease his pain, even just a little.

She hugged Rickon fearlessly before she departed, unable to resist kissing his hair like she had when he was just a boy of four.

When she arrived at Winterfell, the sun is beginning to set. Feeling tired, she immediately retreated to her chambers and changed for bed.

As the sun retreated from her rooms, she retreated from the world.

 

And, as she had expected, there was Ned, waiting.


End file.
